ISLAMABAD – The energy demand has increased sharply owing mainly to economic growth and the attendant rise in per capita income but supply of energy is so far too short to match the growing demand. According to official statistics, the consumption of petroleum products, gas, electricity and coal during the first nine months (July 2007 to March 2008) of the current fiscal year increased by 10.1 per cent, 2.8 per cent, 5.7 per cent and 11.9 per cent respectively as compared to the corresponding period of the last fiscal year (2006-2007). While the supply of the crude oil, gas, petroleum products, coal and electricity during the first nine months of the current fiscal year 2007-08 increased by 6.5 per cent, 2.7 per cent, 7.4 per cent, 13 per cent and 4.4 per cent respectively over the corresponding period of the last year. Production of crude oil shows an increase of 5.54 per cent per day, as it increased to 70,166 per barrels during these nine months from 66,485 barrels per day during the same period of the last fiscal. On average, the transport sector consumes 50.9 per cent of the petroleum products, power sector 32.8 per cent, industry 11 per cent, household 1.9 per cent, other government sector 2.2 per cent and agriculture 1.2 per cent. The average production of natural gas per day increased to 3,965.9 million cubic feet during the aforesaid period as compared to 3,876 million cubic feet over the same period of the last fiscal year, showing an increase of 2.3 per cent. Power sector consumes 36.8 per cent of gas, followed by fertiliser 20.7 per cent, industrial sector 19.8 per cent, household 17.4 per cent, commercial sector 2.7, cement 1.1 per cent and 1.5 per cent in other sectors. The total installed generation capacity has increased to 19,566 MW during the first nine months of current fiscal year from 19,440 MW during the same period of the last financial year, which shows an increase of 0.65 per cent. Total installed capacity of WAPDA stood at 11,654 MW during July-March 2007-08 of which hydel accounts for 55.6 per cent or 6,474 MW, thermal account for 44.4 per cent or 5,180 MW. During the first three quarters of the current fiscal year, 74,032 GWh electricity has been generated while 71,033 GWh was produced in the same period of the last year showing an increase if 4.2 per cent.

There has been 11.2 per cent raise in electrified villages as the number increased to 126,296 by March- July 2007-08 from 113,605 in 2006-07. Presently 2,068 CNG stations are operating in the country. About 1.70 million vehicles were converted to CNG as compared to 1.35 million vehicles during the same period of the last year, showing an increase of 26 per cent. With these development Pakistan has become the leading country in Asia and the third largest user of CNG in the world.